May 20, 2013

Women in Foodservice

Consumer Trends
The Secret’s Out

Though not new, secret and hidden menus have taken hold in recent years as social media–savvy diners share off-the-menu experiences with potentially viral audiences. And today, more quick-service brands are finding that a secret menu can offer guests a fun and unique experience worth coming back for.

Read Full Story // read more about: Boloco, In-N-Out Burger, Panera Bread, Marketing, Competition, Menu Innovations, Promotions
Outside Insights
Planting the ‘Seeds’ of Marketing

The old adage “squeezing blood out of a turnip” may best describe how many marketers today feel when it comes to finding new ways to stretch their marketing budget dollars. Whether they slashed advertising media buys, reduced the number of new collateral materials, or scaled back on product launches, retailers were affected...

Read Full Story // read more about: Marketing
Outside Insights
3 Tips for Food Truck Insurance

There’s a food truck for every type of cuisine nowadays. Mobile eateries’ sudden rise in popularity has taken the country by storm, and just like other businesses, the trucks need to be insured, whether they’re operators’ main business or secondary source of income. From 2011 to 2012, Progressive saw a nearly 20...

Read Full Story // read more about: In the Store
Industry News
KFC Debuts New Original Recipe Boneless

When nearly four in five servings of fried chicken in the U.S. are served “off the bone” – strips, bites, and filets – what’s the most famous fried chicken restaurant in the world to do? For KFC, the answer was simple: Get rid of the bones.

Read Full Story // read more about: KFC, Menu Development, Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations, Social Media, Promotions
Industry News
Seattle's Best Taps Into $4.3B Blended Beverage Industry

Seattle’s Best Coffee, a division of Starbucks Corporation, partnered with food manufacturer Inventure Foods Inc. to launch a first for the coffee industry: a blend-at-home frozen coffee beverage line. “The blended marketplace is huge and growing; it’s a $4.3 billion category,” says Jennifer Dimaris, vice...

Read Full Story // read more about: Seattle's Best, Beverage, Menu Innovations, Ingredients & Dayparts
Industry News
Barberitos Brings Back Mango Salsa

Barberitos rolls out its warm-weather menu item: mango salsa. The sweet salsa made its debut last year and was a hit. It is commonly paired with the jerk tilapia available on Fridays, as well as Barberitos chicken. Mango salsa will be available throughout the summer at all Barberitos locations. Barberitos is a quick service restaurant...

Read Full Story // read more about: Barberitos, Menu Development, Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations
Menu Innovations
Tricks of the Local Trade

Given the option to serve products that are considered fresh, high quality, and superior in taste—products that consumers crave and feel a connection to—operators generally don’t have to think twice. That’s why many limited-service brands are jumping on board with the local-foods trend, opting to purchase many of...

Read Full Story // read more about: Chipotle, Farm Burger, Mad Greens, Mixt Greens, Split Bread, Sweetgreen, Menu Development, Competition, Consumer Trends, Sustainability, Ingredients & Dayparts
Emerging Concepts
One to Watch: Muscle Maker Grill

Rod Silva, founder of Muscle Maker Grill, says making America healthier requires diners increasing the number of healthy choices they make each day. And Muscle Maker Grill is helping them do just that. In fact, it’s difficult to make an unhealthy choice at a Muscle Maker Grill restaurant. There are no fryers on the premises; the...

Read Full Story // read more about: Muscle Maker Grill, Healthy Menus, Franchising, Growth, Health
Industry News
CIA President Increases Student Scholarships by $3.6M

Dr. Tim Ryan celebrated the college's accomplishments of the past year before more than 700 employees of the college's four campuses during The Culinary Institute of America's (CIA) annual State of the Institute address. Accomplishments included the graduation of 1,051 associate...

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House, Finance, Kitchen
Industry News
Rational Grows 11% in 2012, Wins Technology Awards

This year, the first-class industry publications, GVmanager and 24 Stunden Gastlichkeit, once again awarded the best in the industry with the BEST of Market 2013 at the Internorga fair in Hamburg on behalf of their readers.

More than 2,200 decision makers from the hotel...

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House, Equipment, Finance, Kitchen
Industry News
Freshens Gets Sweet and Savory With New Crepe Options

Freshens relies heavily on customer research to keep its product offerings relevant and on trend with its customers.  

The Atlanta-based company conducted a series of focus groups to gain insight into flavor profiles that its loyal customer base was seeking for new crepe menu...

Read Full Story // read more about: Freshens, Desserts, Healthy Menus, Menu Development
Employee social networks give quick serves powerful human resources tool.
Human Resources
The Perfect Match

Finding a great employee—much like finding a significant other—isn’t always easy. That’s why some operators are turning to online tools like Shiftgig for help seeking out the most compatible workers on the market.

While many hiring platforms, such as PeopleMatter...

Read Full Story // read more about: Q-BBQ, Back of House, Back Office, In the Store, Social Media
Industry News
Bruster's Gives Fans a Taste of What's to Come

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, ranked No. 10 out of 100 limited-service restaurants nationwide by premier consulting firm WD Partners, has introduced the first of three new spring flavors.

Freshly made Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, with ribbons of raspberry sauce and creamy chocolate...

Read Full Story // read more about: Bruster's, Desserts, Menu Development
Industry News
Cintas Identifies 5 Overlooked Sustainability Areas

Identified by the National Restaurant Association (NRA) as a top trend for 2013, sustainability continues to rank high on the list of what consumers expect most from restaurants. From locally-sourced food to recyclable and compostable products, many quick-service restaurants (QSRs) are looking...

Read Full Story // read more about: Operations, Sustainability
Industry News
Hispanics' Restaurant Visits Fall by 86M in 2012

While total restaurant visits increased by 1 percent in 2012 compared to prior year, visits by U.S. Hispanics declined by 1 percent, a loss of 86 million visits, reports The NPD Group, a leading global information company.

Declines were steepest among less bicultural U.S. Hispanics, who...

Read Full Story // read more about: Consumer Trends, Outside Insights
Industry News
California-Based Dog Haus Launches National Franchise

Born from a passion for hot dogs, what started between friends as an idea for a fun new concept has turned into Dog Haus, a full-fledged thriving restaurant with three locations in Southern California.  

Read Full Story // read more about: Dog Haus, Operations, Franchising, Growth, Expansion
McAlisters Deli franchisee says casual dining experience helps in quick service.
Sandwiches
What You Can Learn from Casual Dining

David Blackburn has been in the foodservice business his entire adult life. Since 1979, the McAlister’s Deli franchisee has cataloged more than 25 years of experience in the casual-dining sector, spending 16 of those as regional vice president of operations at O’Charley’s....

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Superfoods like whole grains and oatmeal offer healthy menu alternative.
Healthy Menus
The Other Side of Super

Superfoods have swept the culinary world into a frenzy, enticing consumers with a taste of the exotic and courting them with nutrition and functionality, to the point where restaurants across the country are trying to stake a claim in this fledgling movement.

Quick-service restaurants are...

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Operators must protect their quick serve business from credit card fraud.
Back of House
How to Prevent Credit Card Fraud

Every merchant that accepts credit and debit cards is required to be compliant with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards (DSS), whose next set of standards will be released in October 2013. Yet despite these compliance requirements, the food and beverage industry had the...

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Corner Bakery's new menu items use fresh ingredients to offer premium quality.
Breakfast
The Corner of Innovation

In a push to distinguish itself from growing competition in the fast-casual bakery-café space, Corner Bakery Café is doubling down on menu innovation.

The 22-year-old, Dallas-based chain recently leveraged its high-quality kitchen equipment and capabilities, as well as more than 40 fresh...

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Burger King's new coffee beverages position the brand to compete with McDonalds.
Beverage
Coffee is King

Forget quick-serve mainstays like burgers and fries. These days, limited-service brands are looking to coffee to beef up business, and Burger King is the latest chain to get in on the action.

Burger King’s customers can now enjoy 10 new specialty drinks, including iced coffees in a...

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The Boston Fire Department was treated to free meals at Firehouse Subs.
Charitable Giving
Nurturing Boston

As soon as he learned about the April 15th Boston bombings, Dave Tucci, the New England area representative for Firehouse Subs’ DMA, called the Firehouse franchisee closest to the bombings.

Tucci was relieved to find out that all employees at Firehouse’s Copley Square location...

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Tin Drum Asia Cafe used equity firm investment to stay debt free in growth.
Finance
Striking Gold

Steven Chan’s business was at a crossroads last year. His Atlanta-based fast casual Tin Drum AsiaCafé launched in 2000, sold its first franchise in 2001, and was growing slowly due to Chan’s determination to keep it debt-free. At the beginning of 2012, Tin Drum had 10 franchises in...

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Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey is innovativing the POS space with Square.
Point Of Sale
Can Square Change POS Forever?

Jack Dorsey, who cofounded Twitter and Square, was raised by parents in the quick-service industry. His father owned a pizza restaurant, and his mother ran a coffee shop.

It’s little surprise, then, that Dorsey’s latest initiative with Square is to broaden its use within quick...

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